Salvation Army overwhelmed with offers after toy, donation theft

By ALLISON JONES The Canadian PressPublished November 21, 2012 - 7:02pm Last Updated November 22, 2012 - 11:38am

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Agency: 100,000 items worth $2 million taken

Maj. John Murray of the Salvation Army attends a news conference at their Railside Road food and toy distribution centre in Toronto on Wednesday after discussing the alleged theft of several million dollars’ worth of items.

UPDATED 10:27 a.m. Thursday

TORONTO — The Salvation Army says it has been overwhelmed by people offering to help out since news spread of the theft of some $2 million worth of toys and donations.

It’s believed as many as 100,000 toys were stolen over an almost two-year period from the charity’s warehouse in north-end Toronto.

The Salvation Army says it became aware of the thefts only after a whistleblower came forward in August.

Spokesman John Murray says the response from people wanting to help replace the toys has been overwhelming.

Harold Chizick of the Toronto toy company Spin Master says when the company heard the news, it knew it had to do something.

So it’s donating more than $100,000 worth of toys to the Salvation Army.

Murray has said he believes the alleged theft is an isolated incident and has urged people not to lose confidence in the work of the charity.

The Salvation Army believes it was a “targeted,” strategic plot to defraud the charity.

Police have been investigating the alleged theft, estimated to be worth about $2 million, since late September, but have not made any arrests.

The news comes as the Salvation Army is preparing to start its annual Christmas Kettle Campaign, where volunteers solicit donations in high-traffic areas like shopping malls and on the street.

About 140,000 toys are distributed to families in need each holiday season from the Toronto warehouse, but spokesman John Murray said at a news conference Wednesday that no one will go without.

“I can assure you that anyone in need this Christmas will be helped by the Salvation Army,” he said.

“To those Canadians who routinely and generously give to the Salvation Army I would appeal to you this afternoon to not lose confidence in the work of the Salvation Army and the work that we do on your behalf in Canadian cities.”

A whistleblower within the organization tipped the Salvation Army off a few months ago and internal auditors made the “troubling” discovery, Murray said.

Executive director David Rennie was then fired. No criminal charges have been laid.

Meanwhile, the executive director at the Salvation Army in Ottawa has been fired after auditors discovered $250,000 has gone missing. Perry Rowe had been with the charity’s Booth Centre for eight years.

Police have not yet determined what happened to the toys at the Toronto warehouse. Murray said the Salvation Army believes no other locations have been hit with alleged thefts.

“This is an isolated situation,” he said. “We believe that it’s been very specific. It’s been targeted. It’s been very strategic in the way that it was put together. It was thought out.”

The warehouse has video surveillance and security systems, but the Salvation Army has retained KPMG to do an audit to determine what other checks and balances can be put in place.

The security system is good, so the alleged theft signals that when there is a will, there is a way, Murray said.

“If an individual wants to defraud an organization there are ways and means to do that,” he said.

The hearts of people at the Salvation Army go out to whoever committed the alleged theft, but if people have problems in their lives they should instead come to the organization for help, Murray said.